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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Felt Campfire

Oh buddy! This is going to be a long one. I will start by saying this is a ore general how to as I am not an actual seamstress.... My only knowledge of sewing came from my 8th grade sewing class with Ms. Phipps or was it Phibbs?... My mom made me take it.... And I am sure glad I did. I tried to take as many detailed photos as I can because I thnk they can show what I did better than my words. Second, I made this up as I was going.... So there are things I would do different if there is ever a next time...

I got the idea from this when I saw this post from Kelle Hampton, from her blog Enjoying the Small Things. One of my favorite non design blogs... When I started thinking sout Christmas presents for the kids I nanny I came back to this.... So here goes my method to making a felt campfire.

I made a three sided fire... Each a different size and shape. I am just going to show you one side, and the steps are the same for the other two.

I started with the red felt and drew out freehand how I wanted the fire to look like. Remember to do your largest color bigger than how you want the final size to be. You will lose height and width with the stitching and stuffing.

Cut out two reds same size and shape.

I set the red on top of the orange and traced the shape with a pencil. I took the red off and mimicked inside my outside line a smaller scale flame.

I did the same with the orange on top of the yellow. For the yellow and orange you only need one of each.

I used a metallic gold thread and stitched on the yellow to the orange...

And then the orange to the red.

This is what they looked like stacked on top of each other before I stitched them together.

Then place the second red on top of the front of the other with the yellow and orange on the inside. I sewed around the edge with a 1/4" seam allowance.

Turn it inside out and start stuffing.

I started with stuffing the orange, then the yellow. Other felt campfires I saw did not stuff the individual colors. I liked the extra dimension it gave. Then I sewed the bottom of the yellow and orange to the front side of the red. Don't see it all closed yet...

Then I took a scrap piece of red felt about 2" thick and pinned it to the bottom and sewed across the front. I stuffed the fire and stitched up the bottom flap to the back side of the fire. This is where I was making it up as I was going. There is probably a better way of doing this but it is what I did.

Here is a picture after I sewed up the bottom before I cleaned it up.

The flat base helps the fire to stand.

Another stuffed shot... You can see how the bottom flap is folded under.

The logs were crazy easy.... I just took a single sheet of felt, folded it in half with and sewed up the right side of the sheet to make a tube.

Then I eyeballed the size for a circle and pushed it into one end and pinned it. I sewed around the circle all the way on one end. And on the other end of the side I sewed half way around and left the other end open to be able to turn it right side out and stuff it.

Turn it right side out...

Stuff it and hand stitch up the open end of the log. And you're done!

For the roasting sticks I sketched out the shape for the stick I wanted and cut out two sides. I sewed up the perimeter and left the bottom open.

Then I turned it right side out with the help of the wooden dowl.

I wanted the tasted marshmallow and stick to be magnetic, so I shoved a magnet in first a little bit of stuffing and then cut the wooden dowl to size and shoved it in.

Then sewed up the bottom...

Done...

The magnetic toasted marshmallow were. Little tricky because they were small. I cut strips from white 5"x2.5".... If I were to do it again I would have made it a little less than 2".

Then sewed it like I did the log...

One side white, the other I did in the tan color to give it a toasted look. I shoved a magnet in first toward the white side, tested it with the stick to make sure I had the right sides of the magnets facing each other. Then filled its stuffing and stitched up the opening.

The graham crackers, I cut out two 3.5"x3.5" squares...

Put in a small pinch of stuffing...

Pinned the sides....

And sewed it with a 1/4" seam allowance and down the middle.

Then I took a needle and thread and sewed along th edge with a loop stitch and did little x marks to look like the tufted marks on a graham cracker. You will see in pictures later...

The melted marshmallow I just cut out a 3x3" square, sewed curved sides and rounded corners. Leaving one corner open, turn it right side out, stuff it and stitch up the opening.

The chocolate I cut out a 3.5"x3" rectangle.... Sewed around the edge, leaving a corner open.... Shoved in a little bit of stuffing. And stitched up the corner. Then with the machine sewed a line down the middle...

I marked with pins where I would sew across...

And sewed them up like little bars....

Here is the set before cleaned up the threads. You can see the tufted marks on the graham crackers and the edges on the marshmallows that I hand stitched closed.

I didn't take pictures of the rocks.... That I was really winging.... I just cut out what could be described as a string if pearls in threes. Sewed up the sides, turned them inside out and sewed them together.... That probably makes no sense, but I'm sure there are many ways to make it work.

I did it both ways. The way I liked the best was just sewing up the bottom. But really i was just making it up as I was going so you may think of a better way to do it! Good luck! This has been a well loved present!

Thanks for the tutorial, I love the idea of using magnets. I'm going to try this, and I think I will add a BIT of velcro hook on the flat marshmallow to help the sandwich stay together. The boys are going to LOVE their new camping play set for Christmas!